December 30, 2011

As 2011 closes, we wanted to update you on what has been going on with the Fowlers. Our second son, Shields Lee, joined our family on December 6. He has been a source of great joy to us, as is his older brother Levi (now 2). In July Megan bid farewell to the law firm where she had worked for nearly four years and came home to care for Levi and continue her freelance writing. With that transition Lindon started working full time as a maintenance assistant at a condominium where he worked during seminary. He also completed a two-year pastoral internship at a local EPC church.

Though our job situation has changed somewhat, we find ourselves in the same situation in which we ended 2010 – looking for a full time pastoral call for Lindon. With Lindon’s ministry giftedness and resourcefulness, we felt confident he would be a strong candidate for any position. But it turns out Lindon’s abilities were no match for a horrible economy; many churches have cut staff, halted plans to add staff, and not replaced staff members who left.

As we have added members to our family, our desire to live closer to our extended family has also grown. Many times we talked about Lindon getting a “regular” job in Pennsylvania so that we could live near family while we search for a ministry opportunity. Lindon traveled to Ohio in mid November to attend a presbytery meeting of the Presbytery of the Alleghenies (EPC). This trip was a risk because we did not have any idea what might come out of it. We asked friends and family to pray that the trip would produce helpful contacts for Lindon.

God most definitely answered our prayers. Lindon received particular help from a pastor in Slippery Rock, Pa., who expressed real enthusiasm for getting Lindon involved in the church while Lindon looks for a full-time call. Lindon returned from presbytery on Sunday, and 24 hours later he had a phone call with a contractor in Slippery Rock who needs assistance. Now Lindon has some work lined up in Slippery Rock and a church where he can volunteer. With these two pieces of the puzzle in place, we have decided to move to the Slippery Rock area to be close to family, continue the job search, and explore church planting with the EPC.

We write all of this to you because many of you have been praying for us for years, and we thank you for your continued love and support. We plan to move on January 14, though there are still many details that we need to finalize. Please continue to pray for our family, that the Lord would provide Lindon with a job in ministry, that the job would come soon, and that our transition would be smooth. There is much more that we want to say but cannot fit it in a letter…so we started a blog! See the address below (and to see some recent Fowler family photos). Thank you for your partnership with us over the years, and we hope you will continue to pray with and for us in the years to come!

Second, the reason we started the blog is to keep friends and loved ones updated as we move to Pennsylvania next month to continue our job search closer to family.

There is much to do and even more for me to process over the next few weeks, and when time permits, I intend to do some of the processing here. I will also keep this as a place for posting photos and dealing with all manner of existential angst. The other blog will be for updating people on ministry matters.

Please feel free to add our family blog to your reader, or just stalk us periodically.

December 20, 2011

In no particular order, these are some of the random events and thoughts from our life lately:

- Shields had his two-week appointment on Tuesday, and he is getting along quite well. Really, he is an awesome baby. Also, special props to Levi for being amazing about getting out the door this morning amidst the chaos of me having to be on the phone for 30 minutes with the doctor's office and the insurance company right before we needed to leave.

- This will be the first Christmas in six years where we will not be with family. Are we disappointed? Absolutely. Will we miss celebrating with our parents, siblings, nieces, and nephews? Yup. But we are trying to make the best of it and look forward to our first Christmas as a family of four. This can be the year we start our own Christmas traditions and get to really relish Levi's wonder on Christmas morning. Plus, we get to wake up on Christmas morning in our own beds, which will be a little comfort and joy of its own.

- People have asked, so I wanted to mention that Levi is adjusting pretty well to having a sibling. He alternately lavishes his brother with affection and acts out in frustration when Shields requires more attention than Levi would prefer. In short, he acts like a typical two year old. I have tried to choose my battles wisely and affirm Levi whenever I can. He has not asked that we return Shields yet, and our many thoughtful friends who have sent gifts for Levi in addition to gifts for Shields have helped to make the transition as smooth as possible.

- Really, starting this blog post was too ambitious of me, and I should be napping. So I am going to nap now.

December 15, 2011

One week ago today I came home from the hospital with Shields. And what a week it has been! My mother came to spend two weeks with us in anticipation of the baby's birth. She arrived in late November and patiently waited one week before the kiddo arrived. In that time she had a chance to learn our family routine and become fluent in Levi-ese. It was a huge blessing to know she was taking care of Levi while we were in the hospital.

Then my dad came out to join my mom last Thursday, and having two extra sets of hands was even better. Levi was beside himself with excitement to have his grandparents here, and we were thrilled to have the help.

They left on Tuesday, and now Lindon's parents are with us until Saturday when we will finally try our hand at being a family of four. Again, it's great to have extra hands, and Levi LOVES grandparent time.

Levi also loves his little brother and lavishes him with all manner of adoration. Shields is a very patient recipient and a pretty easy going kid. I don't necessarily think his temperament is all that different from his older brother; I think he just has more competent parents than Levi did when he was one week old. Either way, he is making the transition as easy as he possibly can, and we love him all the more for it.

Enjoy the pictures. Both kiddos are sleeping now, so I will go do likewise. It's one of the many ways I am smarter than I was 25 months ago.

December 7, 2011

Just when I think my heart cannot find room to love another little one as much as I love Levi, my second son comes along and opens my heart to even more joy and love than I thought possible. My happiness and gratitude are beyond expression.

About Me

I am a storyteller. I tell others' stories as a freelance writer, but this blog is the place for me to tell my story. Make that my family's story. It's usually a little untidy, and it probably has teeny finger print smudges on it, but that's ok. These are reflections on the big and small events that ultimately shape who I am. I live in Pennsylvania with my wonderful husband, our faithful dog, and two kiddos.